Wood-pulp thickener and save-all.



A. D. WOOD.

WOOD PULP THIGKENEKAND SAVE ALL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.14, 1912.

1,103,725., Patented July 14, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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WOOD PULP'THIGKENER AND SAVE ALL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.14, 191 2,

1,103,725. Patented July 14,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

ALBERT I). WOOD, OF CANTON, NORTH CAROLINA.

WOOD-PULP THIGKENER AND SAVE-ALL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1914;.

Application filed November 14, 1912. Serial No. 731,450.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT D. Woon, a citizenof the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Haywood andState of North Carolina, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Wood-Pulp Thickeners and Save-Alls, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of paper pulp, and has for itsobject the provision of a device for thickening the pulp, the devicebeing serviceable also in the treatment of waste water, from pulp andpaper mills, for the recovery of pulp fiber.

Heretofore in devices of this character, the paper pulp and water isdirected into a vet having vertical partitions over which the pulp andwater flows and mounted between the vertical partitions is a rotatingcylinder having a surface of foraminous material through which the waterfrom the pulp is strained, the water flowing out through the ends of thevat while the pulp passes on and flows over the other partitions and outof the vat. The disadvantage of this style of strainer has been thatparticles of pulp fiber, resinous matter and the like, would adhere tothe surface of the strainer and eventually clog it, obstructing thepassage of water through the strainer, thereby decreasing the efliciencyof the strainer and making it necessary to clear the strainer by blowingit out with steam, cleaning with acids, scrubbing with brushes, or byother methods, requiring time and labor. The above treatment cleans thestrainer in a very unsatisfactory manner, and is injurious to the facingor strainer surface.

In my invention the cylindrical strainer is provided with a plurality ofinclined vanes forming pockets adjacent to the strainer'surface thatcarry up some of the water that is strained from the pulp and this waterby pressing against the strainer surface and a portion of it flowingoutwardly through the strainer surface, keeps it cleared of particleswhich ordinarily adhere thereto and obstruct the strainer.

My invention will be described in detail hereinafter and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of myimproved pulp thickener and save all showing the strainer partly brokenaway; Fig. 2, a side view showing the strainer partly broken away; Fig.3, an end view; Fig. 4:, a cross section on the plane indicated by theline 4-4- of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a cross section on the plane indicated bythe line 5-5 of Fig. 1; and Fig. ,6, a cross section of one of thesupporting wheels for the cylinder.

In the drawings similar reference characters will be used to designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views.

.1 indicates the vat having its ends 2 provided with vertical cleats 3-3and 4-4 spaced apart in pairs adjacent to the two sides of the vat inwhich are removably mounted partition boards 5 and 6, said partitions 5and 6 forming with the bottom of the vat a chamber 7 in which the woodpulp is strained. 4

8 indicates the inlet pipe connected with one side of the vat and 9 theoutlet connected with the opposite side of the vat, it being understoodthat the water and pulp enter the vat 1 through the inlet pipe 8, flowover the partition 5 and into the chamber 7, and after being strained bythe instrumentalities hereinafter described, the thickened pulp passesover the partition 6 and flows out through the outlet 9.

10 indicates a shaft journaled in journal boxes 10 mounted on beams 11supported by means of brackets 11 engaging the upper margins of the ends2 of the vat 1, said shaft 10 being actuated by means of a belt 10connected with any suitable source of power or any other gearing may besubstituted therefor.

A cylinder 12 is mounted upon the shaft 10 and consists of pulleys 13keyed to said shaft and provided with the spokes 14 radiating from thehubs 15. 16 indicate vanes extending from the rims of the pulleys 13 andat an angle to the radius thereof, each of said vanes being providedwith a cored opening 17. The cylinder as shown in the drawings isprovided with three pulleys 13, one at each endand one intermediate ofthe ends, the pulley intermediate of the ends being as described above,while the pulleys forming the ends of the cylinder are each providedwith a ring 18 secured to the outer margins of the vanes 16 at the outerend of the cylinder.

19 indicate slats secured to the vanes 16 by means of bolts or othersuitable fastenings inserted through the openings 17 here'- toforedescribed and through suitable openings provided in said slats, saidslats 19 extending throughout the length of the cylinder 12.

20 indicates a covering of wire gauze fabric mounted upon the slats 19and having its overlapped edges secured by means of a strip of wood orother suitable material 20, the nails'or other securing means engagingsaid strip 20 being driven through said strip to the overlapped ends ofthe covering of fabric 20 and one of the slats 19 heretofore described.7

In place of the wooden strip 20, the ends of the Wire gauze fabric 20may be secured in any other suitable manner such as sewing or solderingthe wire if desired and furthermore, in order to hold the fabric inplace on the cylinder, several of the strips 20 may be secured aroundthe cylinder on other slats 19 if desired, being preferably arranged atequal distances apart.

Secured to the inner side of each end 2 of the vat is a segmental flange20 of angle iron that is spaced apart from the adjacent end of thecylinder 12 and each end of the vat is provided with a segmental opening21 through which the water strained by the cylinder 12 flows from thevat.

To make the ends of the cylinder watertight, I provide a packing strip22 of any suitable packing material such as a strip of felt secured atone of its ends by means of a bolt 23 mounted on a bracket 24 while itsother end is likewise secured to a bolt 25 mounted on a bracket 26 andprovided a wing nut or its equivalent 27 that is adapted to. be used totighten the packing strip 22 around the surface of the cylinder.

28 indicates a board secured to each of the beams 11 and arrangedopposite the openings 21 in the ends of the vat that form spouts for thewater flowing from said openings.

In operation, it will be understood that the pulp and water enters thevat 1 through the inlet pipe 8 and flows over the partition 5 into thechamber 7. The water contained in the chamber 7 flows out through-themeshes of the wire covering 20'of the cylinder and the openings 21A inthe endsthereof, while the pulp passes on and upward over the partition6 and out through the outlet pipe 9. It will be understood that duringthe rotation of the cylinder some of the water contained within thecylinder-will be caught up by the slats-19 Within the pockets formedthereby and the pulp on the outside of the cylinder and carried upwardlyand as the water flows through the strainer surface, some of the pulpwill be deposited thereon and will be the height of the partition boardswhich may i be ralsed or lowered to deliver the pulp thick or thin asdesired.

It will be understood that my improved thickener and save all is adaptedto be used for straining the water from the pulp after washing duringthe process of manufacturing the pulp, and is also adapted tov be usedto save any particles of pulp that may go out with the waste Water fromthe pulp mill. My improved thickener is also adapted to be used toremovethe water after the bleachin process as well as after the process 0?screening the pulp, before its subsequent treatment by beating andrefining for. conversion into paper. It will be also understood that myimproved strainer may be used for other pur' poses than thickeningwoodpulp and saving particles of pulp and further as heretoforedescribed, such for instance as filtering the water from sewage and alsousing as a preliminary filter for removing leaves, sticks, etc., fromwater in municipal filtration plants, and I do not therefore desire tobe confined in the use of myinvention to the manufacture of wood pulp asheretofore described.

Having thusdesoribed my invention what I claim is 1. In a strainer ofthe class described, a vat, intake and outlet ducts connected to saidvat, a cylinder rotatably mounted in said vat, a removable partition ateach side of said cylinder in the said vat, a packing strip extendingpartially around said cylinder, and having ends extending above thehorizontal axis thereof, one'of the ends of said strip being connectedto said vat and the other end at the opposite side of the cylinder beingadjustably connected to said vat, whereby said strip may be adjusted tocontact closely with the end ofsaid cylinder.

2. In a strainer of the class described, a vat, intakeand outlet ductsconnected to the sides of the vat, a cylinder rotatably mounted in thevat and provided with inclined vanes thereon, said vanes being inclinedtangentially from said cylinder in a direction opposite to the rotationof said cylinder, a. removable partition in the vat,,one on each side ofthe cylinder, a packing strip connected at one end to the wall of thevat, said strip extending underneath the cylinder at one end, and meansfor adjusting said packing strip to contact firmly with the end of,

said cylinder.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT D. WOOD. Witnesses:

WILLIAM J. BA'I'IISON, HARRY M. GEE.

